Off to Med School...AHHH!

Well, I don't really know who will be reading our BLOG...hopefully lots of med school wives and med school wives to be. (Husbands are welcome and encouraged to read too...but just be warned, we are currently a group of 8 ladies doing the writing so you might be overwhelmed with estrogen at times.) Anyway, I was talking to a friend of ours who will be moving to med school with her husband this summer and I had some flashbacks to when my husband and I were preparing to move.

Doodlie do....doodlie do...doodlie doo... (That is dreaming music by the way.)

At the time, we had only been married for 6 months and we were waiting for responses from several schools. I can remember laying in bed at night wondering what the next few years would bring and where we were going to be going. It was strange to feel like we were preparing to move but not sure where we were going yet. Also, I had a lot of questions about what med school would be like. As is true with any life journey, I am sure that everyone's experiences, fears, questions are unique; but, I thought I would let you my in on my biggest fear about "the big move".

"Am I ever going to see my husband after he starts med school?"
Before being initiated into the "med school club" ourselves, we talked to many people who just kept reinforcing how busy my husband would be and that I better be a good supporter and be willing to not spend much time with him at all. Now I was ready to be his support (in the same way that he supports me) but I was used to having him to myself in the evenings so I was slightly concerned about not seeing him and being lonely. But, when we got here, I found that I was pleasantly surprised by how our schedule worked out and how much we were able to be together. If there was one thing that I learned in the first year, it is that EVERYONE handles medical school differently. While I did have friends whose significant other lived at the library, my husband studied best at home and enjoyed spending study breaks with me. He studied a lot on weekends but made it a point to take at least one night off to have a date night. (To be honest...most non-test weekends, we had two date nights!!) Anyway, long story short, it was not nearly as bad as I imagined (or had been warned to expect!). One factor that may have helped was that I was busy with my job and had work to do in the evenings. Even still...we made the best of his study sessions with some tea and some soft music.

Again, EVERYONE is different and makes a different schedule for themselves. Will it be new and different...most likely. But sometimes new and different is refreshing.

And when you need something to spice up med school life...

-Find a group of girls to meet for coffee once a week. It is such a blessing to be able to encourage each other and just relate to someone who is going through a similar time in life. (Note: in the first year, it may take some work to find a group you can get close with...but if you put yourself out there, chances are that you will find others who are also looking for some support!)

-Plan a special date with your husband. One of our girl friends tries to do some kind of special date (even just going to the beach) after each of her husband's big tests. That way they get to spend time together and he can relax after studying.

-Make studying a date. Another friend and her husband study at BARNES and NOBLE every weekend together.

Anyway, enough from me. Anyone else have a nagging question about "tagging along" to med school (or one you had before you came if you are already there)?